Gardens

The Woodland Garden

Enter the soothing realm of the woodland garden and exit life's hectic pace. Take a leisurely stroll through the winding path and over the bridge spanning the dry creek bed. Enjoy the numerous selections of ferns, hosta, and other woodland plants that will inspire and cause you to take pause. It is not known to be a garden of floral beauty, but more a scene of beautiful foliar color, intense organic scents, and incredible texture. Look for the elusive Jack-in-the-Pulpit during spring, or seek out the small fairy garden that hides in the shadows. If you are visiting in the early evening, you may even catch a passing rabbit, a curious squirrel, or a shy deer hoping to go unnoticed. It is a special place that quickly takes you to the roots of nature and allows you to let go of your rigid schedule and drift away in deep thought.

The Alerus Financial Butterfly Garden

A visit to the butterfly gardens will be alluring to both adults and children alike. The incredible scents of the blooming fauna will bring you the realization of why butterflies are attracted to this area over and over again. Not only is it a beautiful place to enjoy the many colors that burst into bloom, but it is also an area of numerous different species of butterflies. Enjoy the blooms of the warm Goldenrod, the lofty Joe Pye Weed, and the numerous selections of Aesculapius that the butterflies adore. If you spend a little time in this garden, you may encounter the colorful Monarch, the complimentary Viceroy, or the stunning Mourning Cloak, among many others flitting through the beds. Children will be enthralled by the life cycle these amazing insects go through and can witness the various stages with repeat visits throughout the season. Take a tour through the land of the lepidoptera and see how many new creatures you encounter.

The Chrysanthemum Test Garden

Visit the gardens of the chrysanthemum. It is a garden that remains green throughout the spring and summer, and it blazes into bloom when most other plants have declined for the season. It is the chrysanthemums that bring color to our lives during the final season before winter arrives. We plant numerous varieties in this garden to test their vigor, resilience, and vitality along with producing the best flowers with the most brilliant colors in the harsh winters of the north. They will brighten the season with many alluring shades such as yellow, gold, orange, lavender, purple, burgundy, and white among many others. Some will survive while others may cease, but it is all in the nature of the test gardens. We learn, enjoy, and share in the marvelous uncertainty of the many selections of chrysanthemums available for our region. As with life, we learn to accept all of nature’s imperfections to enjoy our entire journey.

The Alphabet Garden

If you are a beginner in the horticulture field, the alphabet garden is the perfect place to begin your learning. Each of the mini-gardens are designated by a specific letter of the alphabet. In these separate gardens, all of the plants growing there represent that individual letter. Visit the garden with the letter "D" and enjoy daisies, daylilies, dianthus, and dahlias among many others, or the letter "M" with the monarda, morning glories, marigolds and an assortment of mint. There is a brilliant mix of annuals, herbs, and perennials to entertain the senses. Maybe you want to bring your children to this space to teach them the basics of nature, or maybe you just want to learn on your own and peruse the blooms at your own leisure. Whatever experience you encounter in this garden, you are sure to leave with an added knowledge of the plant materials available to you and the basic ABC's.

The Rain Garden

The rain garden is located directly behind the greenhouse. It absorbs all the run off from the greenhouse roof and slowly filters it into the soil below. The root systems of the plants growing in the bed aid in this filtering process and create an amazing ecosystem with native plants. This garden was recently renovated and will bloom into its new glory in the spring of 2013. If you have an interest in rain gardens, come visit us and observe this interesting garden as it matures.

The Turnaround Garden

The turnaround garden is located in our north parking lot. Vehicles drive around this garden to return to the exit from the gardens. Filled with ornamental grasses and upright sedum, this garden will be sure to please. Please note: The turnaround garden has recently been renovated during the spring of 2012. Please visit this garden and see its new transformation by the hands of our incredible volunteers.

Seeds of Opportunity Garden

Come and see what is growing in the Hunger Free ND Garden. This garden is grown with the efforts of local school children and the botanic gardens. In a joint effort, we grow food to give to the Fargo Food Pantry and produce a variety of vegetables from squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, tomatillos and lettuce. In a few months time, over 300 pounds of produce was picked, which went to help those in need. This is a great project for all ages to become a part of, as it helps so many others who may not have this opportunity or the means to grow their own fresh produce.

The Hummingbird Patio

While visiting our butterfly garden, take a rest nearby on the bench in the hummingbird garden and patio. It is a small quiet place to relax and watch for the incredible ruby-throated hummingbirds. Once you catch sight of these tiny creatures, you will become mesmerized by their incredible endurance and grace. They seem to float on air with little effort from one flower to another collecting the nurturing nectar that nature creates. This is the perfect place to bring your lunch during the afternoon and soak in all that nature has to offer, alongside one of nature’s smallest of birds.

Become a part of the excitement of building a botanic garden, conservatory, and arboretum. Receive our quarterly newsletter. Be informed of educational programs and travel opportunities to visit other gardens and arboreta. Volunteer your talent, time, and energy in helping us realize the dream and the vision.